Five signs you need a new job

Oh January! What a beautiful month you are. 

Not only is it my birthday (next week!) 

But its the perfect month to reflect on your career and ask yourself:

• Am I where I need to be?
• Can I achieve move?
• Do I need a change?

If you are wanting to ‘health check’ your career this month, here are 5 signs it might be time for a new job:

1. You look at your calendar and nothing on there inspires you

Contrary to what many people believe, work can be a place that excites and inspires us. If you are in the right role, surrounded by the right people, you should be excited to go to work. 

Work should provide you with challenge and growth. And therefore when you look at your calendar each week, there should be enough on there that you look-forward to those experiences. If there isn’t, it might be time for a change.

2. You can’t see a path forward

Growth within a company is not always guaranteed. But you should at least be able to see a path. You should be able to look at the roles higher up - or even to the side - and see something that you would like to strive to achieve. 

It doesn’t mean you’ll always get it, but at least it gives you something to aim for and keeps you motivated. If you can’t see where you’d like to go next, it’s time to start plotting a path out of there.

3. You feel bored

In a world where jobs can often move at a million miles an hour, having some boredom in your role is not necessarily a bad thing. But long term boredom is not good for your career - or your mental health. 

You should feel challenged and motivated by your work. If you are sitting there bored everyday, you either need to have a serious talk with your manager, or it’s time to move on.

4. You have no one to learn from

The greatest gift for growth in your career is being surrounded by people you can learn from. Having peers, seniors leaders and even juniors, who inspire you and teach you something new everyday, is the greatest vehicle for accelerating your career. 

But too many people have no one to learn from - either because they work in a small team or they have poor leaders. If this is you, it’s time to find a place where you can learn from others.

5. You get frustrated easily

Small, everyday things can cause us frustration occasionally - that’s pretty normal. But if you find yourself getting frustrated, short-tempered or irritated with your colleagues or your work, it is likely a sign the job is no longer rewarding for you. 

When you are in the right role, with the right amount of challenge, these small things don’t frustrate us. They inspire us to move forward. If you are feeling frustrated regularly, it’s a sign to move on.

If you read through these and found your head nodding in agreement, don’t wait. 

Life is too short to be doing work that doesn’t challenge and fulfil you. Every day you stay in a job you don’t love is a missed opportunity - both financially and for your own personal growth.